Box load support



Oct.` 2, 1951 INVENTOR. WMM

Hrm/ffy Patented Oct. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 30X IAD SUPPORT arold C. Pierce, Pomona, Calif. Application July 25, 1947, Serial No. 763,691

Claims. (Cl. IOS-369) This invention relates generally to the bracing of boxed produce loads for shipment in refrigerator cars, and has to do particularly with an improved form of brace especially adapted for use in conjunction with the so-called three high citrus loads, i. e. car loads comprising two lower tiers of boxes stacked on end, and a top tier of boxes resting horizontally and in spaced relation transversely of the car.

One of my primary objects is to provide a new form of brace capable of maintaining the top box tier in the spaced and supported relation contemplated also by the type of brace disclosed in Patent No. 2,415,368, issued February 4, 1947, on Boxed Produce Loads. Briefly, the specic form of the patented brace is that of a spacer member adapted to be placed horizontally between and in end engagement with the opposed faces of spaced pairs of boxes, the spacer member being contained within the space between the box rows and above the supporting boxes below, and havingr end oroiections received between er1- gaged sides of the boxes.

In accordance with the invention, the brace unit is made in a form permitting its accommodation between boxes of the tier which supports the top boxes to be held in spaced relation, and having projections engageable with the opposed faces of the spaced boxes. As will appear, a single brace, or pair of braces, may be nailed or otherwise secured to the boxes below.

An additional object is to provide a brace adapted to formation from sheet metal stock by simple manufacturing processes permitting production of the braces in ouantity and at low cost.

'I'he various features and objects of the invention, as well as the details of certain illustrative embodiments, will be understood to better advantage from the following description of the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view illustrating one form of the invention as applied to the spacing of boxes in the top tier of a so-called three high load;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the brace;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l illustratingvapplication to the box load of a variational form of the invention; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the brace appearing in Fig. 3.

As will be understood by those familiar with produce loads, and particularly current types of citrus loads, the boxes are arranged within a rerigerator car as illustrated in Fig. 1, and in somewhat greater detail in the Pierce patent referred to above. For present purposes it will suflice to explain that in accordance with the so-called three high load, the general arrangement of which appears in Fig. l, the crown packed boxes I U are stacked on end within the car in two lower tiers II and I2 which support a toptier I3 in which the boxes are alined with those in the lower tiers, but arranged top up with their long dimensions transversely of the car. Thus Fig. 1 is illustrative of a three high transverse row of vertically alined boxes, it being understood that the car will contain a succession of such transverse rows with the boxes of successive rows in engagement and the corresponding boxes in the successive stack rows alined longitudinally of the car. Since the total long dimension of any number of the boxes is uneoual to the car width, the top boxes in tier I3 in each stack row are spaced at i4 so that the end boxes Illa are maintained against the side walls of the car. I

The invention is concerned with a novel form of spacer, generally indicated at I5 for positively maintaining the boxes spaced at I4 and against endwise shifting in the car. Referring to Fig. 2, the brace is made of sheet metal stock, either Y from separately formed sections I6 and II placed flatly in surface-to-surface engagement, or from a single stock piece, portions I6 and I'I of which are folded together at the lower edge I8. The brace comprises an elongated lower portion `I9 containing a series of holes 20 through which nails may be driven into the boxes, and integral upstanding portions 2l, the ends of which are bent outwardly in opposite directions and at right angles in the form of angular projections 22 having alined straight edges 23.

After the stack row of Fig. 1 is loaded into the car, the brace I5 is applied to the forward surfaces of the boxes in the intermediate tier I2 below the box end 24 at the bottom of space I4. The brace is secured to the boxes by drivingnails through openings 2U, the nails serving to secure the brace against movement and interconnect the boxes into which the nails are driven. Projections 22 extend into the space I4 in engagement with the ends of the boxes defining the space, to positively maintain the boxes in the described spaced relation. After application of the brace, a corresponding and successive stack row is loaded into the car against the row of Fig.` 1 to which the brace has been applied. Portion I9 of the brace is sutciently thin to permit interengagement of the box surfaces between which it is received, particularly when the boxes 3 are subjected to the usual load squeezing operation. The forwardly extending projections 22 then become received between the boxes of the subsequently loaded stack row, corresponding to the boxes defining the space I4, so that projections of a single brace engage and space apart the ends of two oppositely arranged pairs of boxes. The braces l may be inserted between successive transverse stack rows, or they may be used only between alternate rows in view of the capacity of a single brace to space the boxes'in two adjacent rows.

Fig. V3 illustrates a variational embodiment of the invention applicable to the described form of load, and differing from the rst form in that the brace is formed in separately applied sections. Referring to Fig. 4, each section 25 is made of double thickness sheet stock, drilled at 26 to receive the nails and having an upstanding portion 2'1 with its outwardly bent projectionsr 28.v As shown in Fig. 3 Vthe brace sections are separately applied to the load by nailing their lower portions 25 to the intermediate box tier at locations such that the projections 28 engage the end faces of the top tier boxes to maintain the proper spacing at I4.

I claim: Y

1. A stabilized boxed produce load including oppositely positioned pairs of boxes spaced apart horizontally and supported on a lower tier of boxes vertically alined with said pairs in one direction and presenting horizontal surfaces at the bottom of the space between them, and brace means Vfor maintaining said pairs of boxesin spaced relation, said brace means comprising a pair' of spaced box engaging elements each engaging one pair of boxes and downwardly offset means maintaining'said elements in said spaced relation, said downwardly offset means being positioned between adjacent walls extending in said one direction of boxes in said lower tier.

2. AV stabilized boxed produce load including oppositely positioned pairs of boxes spaced apart horizontally and supported on a lower' tier of boxes vertically alined with said pairs in one directionV and presenting horizontal surfaces' at the bottom of the space between them, and brace means for maintaining said pairs of boxes in spaced relation, said brace means comprising a pair of spaced box-engaging elements each eng'agin'gone pair of boxes and downwardly oiset means maintaining said elements in said spaced relation, said downwardly offset means extending in said one direction between adjacent walls of boxes in said'lower tier, said oi'set means being suiciently thin to permit interengagement of the box walls between which they are positioned.

3. A stabilized boxed produce load including oppositely positioned pairs of boxes` spaced 'apart horizontally and supported on a lower ztier of boxes'vertically alined with said pairs in one direction and presenting horizontal surfacesv at the bottom of theV space between them, brace means for maintaining` said pairs ofboxe's'lin spacedfrelation, said brace meanscomprising a pair of spaced box engaging elements each engaging onev pair of boxes andV downwardly offset means maintaining saidelements in said spaced relation, said downwardly offset means extending in said one direction between adjacent'walls of boxes in said lower tier, and meanssecuring said downwardly offset means against vertical movement relative tothe boxes in' said lower tier.

4. A stabilized boxed produce load including oppositely positioned pairs of boxes spaced apart horizontally and supported on a lower tier of boxes vertically alined Vwith said pairs in one direction and presenting horizontal surfaces at the bottom ofthe space between them, and a one-piece thin metallic brace having a pair of spaced box engaging elements and a downwardly offset portion connecting said elements and extending in said one direction between interengaged walls of boxes in said lower tier, said box engaging elements each presenting a pair of horizontally turned metallic projections engaging one pair of said boxes.

5. For use in stabilizing boxed produce loads including oppositely positioned pairs of boxes spaced apart horizontally, brace means to beV carried by the box load for maintaining said pairs of Yboxes in spaced relation, said brace means comprising a pair of spaced box engaging elements each adapted to engage one pair of boxes, and downwardly offset means for maintaining said elements in said spacedrelation adaptedto be positioned in the vertical plane of the adjacent walls of said pairs of boxes beneath the level of said boxes.

6. For use in stabilizing boxed produce loads Vincluding oppositely positioned pairs of boxes spaced apart horizontally, brace means to be carried by the box load for Ymaintaining said pairs of boxes Vin spaced relation, said brace means comprising a pair of upstanding spaced box engaging elements each adapted to engage one pair of boxes, and a downwardly offset portion extending between andY connecting said upstanding ele ments and adapted to be positioned in the vertical plane ofthe adjacent walls of said pairs of boxes directly beneath the space between said pairs of boxes.

7. For use in stabilizing boxed producey loads including oppositely positioned pairs of boxes spaced apart horizontally, brace means to be carried by the box load for maintaining said pairs of boxes in spaced relation, said brace means comprising a pair of upstanding spacedbox engaging elements each adapted to engage one pair of boxes, and each having 'a downwardly offset portion for positioning said element relative to the load and adapted to be positioned in the vertical plane of the-adjacent Walls of said pairs of boxes beneath the level of said' boxes.

8. For use in stabilizing boxed produce loads including oppositely positioned pairs of boxes yspaced apart horizontally, a thin Ysheet metal brace for maintaining said pairs of boxes in spaced relation, said brace comprising a pair 'of spaced parallel upstanding portions and a downwardly offset portion extending between and connecting said upstanding portions, said upstanding and downwardly offset portions lying in a common plane for positioning in the vertical plane of the adjacent walls of Vsaid pairs of boxes, each of said upstanding portions of the brace having a pair of oppositely and laterallyxturned projections at its upperY end for engaging one pair of said boxes, said downwardly oisetportionI of the brace being adapted for positioning beneath the level of said boxes. Y

9.V For use in stabilizing boxed produce loads including'oppositely poistioned pairs of 'boxes spaced apart horizontally, a thinv sheet'metal brace for maintaining said pairs ofi boxes in spaced relation, said brace comprising a Ypair of spaced parallel upstandingV portions Yand a downwardly offset portion vextending between' and connecting said upstanding portions, said opstanding and downwardly offset portionsV lying in a common plane for positioning in the vertical plane of the adjacent walls of said pairs of boxes, each of said upstanding portions of the brace having a pair of oppositely and laterally turned projections at its upper end for engaging one pair of said boxes, said downwardly offset portion of the brace being adapted for positioning beneath the level of said boxes and containing openings for reception of fasteners to mount the brace to a lower tier of boxes.

10. For use in stabilizing boxed produce loads including oppositely positioned pairs of boxes spaced apart horizontally, a. pair of thin sheet metal braces to be carried by the box load for maintaining said pairs of boxes in spaced relation, each of said braces comprising an upstanding portion and a downwardly offset horizontally extending portion. said portions lying in a common plane for positioning in the vertical plane of the adjacent walls of said pairs of boxes, said upstanding portions of the braces each having a pair of oppositely and laterally turned projections at its upper end for engaging one pair of said boxes, said downwardly oiset portions of the braces being adapted for positioning beneath the level of said boxes and being adapted for attachment to a lower tier of boxes.

HAROLD C. PIERCE.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Pierce Feb. 4, 1947 Number 

